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The Oxcart
CIA developed the highly secret A-12 Oxcart as the U-2 spy plane’s successor, intended to meet the nation’s need for a very fast, very high-flying reconnaissance aircraft that could avoid Soviet air defenses. CIA awarded the Oxcart contract to Lockheed (builder of the U-2) in 1959.
In meeting the A-12’s extreme speed and altitude requirements, Lockheed–led by legendary engineer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson–overcame numerous technical challenges with cutting-edge innovations in titanium fabrication, lubricants, jet engines, fuel, navigation, flight control, electronic countermeasures, radar stealthiness, and pilot life-support systems.
In 1965, after hundreds of hours flown at high personal risk by the elite team of CIA and Lockheed test pilots, the A-12 was declared fully operational, attaining the design specifications of a sustained speed of Mach 3.2 at 90,000 feet altitude.
U-2
As explained by Curtis Peebles in his book Dark Eagles, Kelly Johnson was the inventor of the reconnaissance airplane, the U-2, a fine airplane but it obvious that the Russians were able to track the U-2 in the late 1950’s. In 1960 they started becoming the successful targets of the US enemies. At least six were shot down. One over Russia, one over Cuba, and an American pilot was killed. Four probably more U-2s with American-trained Taiwanese pilots were shot down over China. So Johnson was asked by the CIA to build an airplane that was unstoppable.
The A-12 was the name.
BUT There were problems everywhere.
The A-12 number 121 test flight plan was to hold Mach 3 for 10 minutes.
The A-12 that burnt to a crisp while it approached Mach 3.3
By the end of the run, it had climbed to 83,000 feet, and due to a malfunction, the speed had approached Mach 3.3! The wiring had been damaged by the 800 F temperature. Nearly all of the hydraulic fuel had been lost from the four flight-controlled systems only 1/2 of a gallon remained out of the original 7 1/2 gallons. The Lockheed/ CIA test pilots insisted for their own safety that Article 121 was to be fitted with hydraulic gauges the only A-12 to be so equipped to measure the hydraulic system.
Jim Eastham who flew that test flight recalled years later “about 15 more seconds at that speed and I think I would’ve been out walking.. ..”
When Eastham cut the throttles and landed at Groom Lake. He thought it was a successful run until the post-flight inspection. It was found that the plane had been burnt to a crisp. It was not until 1967 that the A-12 was allowed to fly in operational sorties out of Kadena AB Okinawa called Black Sheild.
The SR-71 replaced the A-12 in 1968.
Be sure to check out Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer) Twitter X Page Habubrats SR-71, Instagram Page SR71Habubrats and Facebook Page Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats for awesome Blackbird’s photos and stories.
Photo credit: Tony Landis / Lockheed Martin
